Seeds for 10/13/2023 - Matthew 16:21-23

Scripture: From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Observation: Jesus and Peter have a different vision for Jesus’ purpose as the Messiah.

Shortly after Peter confesses Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” and is commended by Him, Jesus delivers a different vision for the Messiah than what Peter or any of them could have expected. It must have sounded like nonsense.

Peter, willing to initiate a hard conversation, pulls Jesus aside to set Him straight in emphatic fashion. Jesus will not be moved and lets Peter know it.

First, this conflict of visions concerning the meaning of Messiahship teaches us directly about the uniqueness of Jesus as Messiah, the character of God, and the severe beauty of Christian salvation. Second, it shows the clarity with which Jesus understood His calling and the road that lay ahead of Him.

Finally, it displays the dynamics of a dispute with Jesus. We may not confront Jesus about what it means to be the Messiah and live out that calling. But have we ever wanted to redefine what it meant to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus? Sure. You bet we have.

Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount, the parables about the kingdom, and more. But we have a few edits in mind. It is critical to understand that Jesus will not be moved. We must listen and study prayerfully in order to interpret the Word well and live it faithfully. But interpreting well is about understanding Jesus so that we can stand under Him, faithfully following where and how He leads.

We may disagree with Jesus, and do so strongly. But we’re not going dissuade Him from His purposes. If we’re going to sound off on Jesus, we should be prepared to be put in our place, which is by far the better for us.

Application:

• When have you been frustrated that Jesus’ way was different than yours?

• What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?

Prayer: Lord, help me set aside my expectations for how you ought to work in my life. Let me receive your purpose rather than insist on my own. Amen.

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“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

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